Submission: Reevaluating HEART’s Relationship with the MSA

Disclaimer: Following Student Media policy, Al-Talib Newsmagazine does not normally post articles by anonymous authors. However, in this instance we have made an exception for the numerous concerned community members that came together for this piece.

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu:

A few weeks ago, some issues were brought to light regarding HEART Women & Girls, a sexual health advocacy and sexual violence prevention organization that has worked closely with both the Muslim Student Association at UCLA (MSA-UCLA) and the Beautiful Mind Project (BMP) over the past few years. It has been active with other MSA’s and community organizations as well. The concerns raised pertain to the framing of some of HEART’s sexual education programming, specifically on whether it is compatible with Islamic values on these subjects, as well as its dealings with Muslim student organizations at other institutions.

We begin by recognizing the beneficial work that HEART does, especially in providing necessary social services to people affected by sexual violence and assault. Furthermore, we understand the immense need for sexual education and sexual violence prevention training in our community. These are important issues in our community and they must be addressed with the utmost care, respect, and adherence to Islamic values. We understand that many people may have an emotional attachment to HEART, but we urge that the arguments presented in this letter be considered on their merit. As an independent organization, the MSA-UCLA has a duty to critically examine its affiliations with other entities in the context of its own principles and commitment to the UCLA Muslim community (as does any Muslim student organization). It was in this spirit that a number of concerned members held a meeting with a representative from HEART (representatives from the MSA-UCLA and BMP were also present), raising their concerns in the interest of better understanding the work that HEART does. While some misconceptions were cleared, there were a few glaring issues that remained.

{1} When asked about HEART’s scholarly Muslim advisory committee and what role they played in evaluating the organization’s programming and vision, the representative informed us that they played a very small role. This is deeply concerning when considering the accusation levied against HEART: That they strategically engage with Islamic symbolism to promote educational material that, in reality, adheres strongly to the values embodied by liberal sexual advocacy groups with barely any connection to Islamic guidelines.

{2} The HEART representative was then asked how their material and organization were Islamic. HEART chose to deflect the question by invoking their status as a “Muslim-led” organization, rather than an Islamic one. As such, they claim to be excused from placing their materials and work within an Islamic structure; those decisions are to be made by religious leaders and scholars. They will therefore avoid discussing the prohibition of pre-marital sex or the Islamic perspective on LGBTQ issues; this is for the individual. However, this characterization is problematic in its inconsistency and misrepresentation: HEART’s “Let’s Talk About Sex” pamphlet, for example, promotes the importance of incorporating Islamic law and fiqh for meaningful sex education, and the pamphlet even notes an Islamic ritual purification issue regarding menses. Additionally, their website and social media platforms make clear that HEART attempts to incorporate Islamic values via Quranic quotations, affiliations with religious scholars, and so forth. HEART, when confronted with this selectivity in Islamically framing their content for some subjects and not others (pre-marital sex, LGBTQ issues), stated that they make ‘strategic’ choices in choosing their positions. Such a “pick-and-choose” approach with Islamic values is deeply concerning when approaching the Muslim community.

{3} We then raised that the language of ’strategic’ framing is alarming because it implies that the organization has an ideological agenda. One community member brought up how a HEART staff member remarked on a radio program that they should refer to the Islamic tradition ‘strategically’ in an effort to change Muslims’ sentiments regarding LGBTQ issues. The HEART representative originally stated that this person was no longer a member of the organization, but after asking if it was person X (who we named), the representative realized that the statements were in fact made by an active and influential member of HEART’s staff. The HEART representative then admitted that these remarks were problematic, but suggested that they were the person’s individual statements, citing their liberal, non-traditional beliefs. This response was unsatisfactory, given the individual’s influential position within HEART, a relatively small organization that is most certainly influenced by the ideas of its core staff members.

{4} Their explanation regarding the issue between HEART and another campus’ Muslim student organization placed blame on the Board of Directors of that organization and HEART affiliates on campus. We acknowledge that the situation could have been better handled by both sides. However, though HEART was not directly responsible for the actions of its affiliates when this issue came to light, HEART should have promptly addressed it and clarified their position with regard to the actions of its affiliates.

We are thankful for the opportunity to have met with the HEART representative and for the generally candid conversation that followed. However, this meeting revealed a host of concerns regarding some of the sex-positive language in their materials, their affiliation with ideologically motivated groups that may not align with Islamic values and their generally selective framing of issues for undefined ‘strategic’ purposes. Collectively, these appear to alienate a significant subset of the Muslim student body represented by the MSA. We, the concerned constituents of the Muslim community at UCLA, therefore call for the Board of Directors of the MSA-UCLA and the Board of Directors of the Beautiful Mind Project to pledge to no longer support HEART events through funding, advertising, or attendance and to no longer distribute HEART’s materials until HEART takes the following actions:

[1] HEART should bring its programming, materials, and its affiliations with religious scholars in line with Islamic values (i.e. in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah). Currently, their material is borderline deceptive with a liberalizing agenda, considering the statements of staff members speaking on record.

[2] HEART should publicly address the controversies with the Muslim student organizations on other campuses, begin processes of amends, and pledge to implement policies which will prevent such controversies from occurring again.

In the event that HEART does not or refuses to meet these conditions the MSA-UCLA should consider partnering with another sexual health advocacy group (a non-Islamic one might even have the advantage of having a consistent message) in cooperation with the UCLA Muslim chaplain (who has specialized training in social work) or another religious authority sensitive to these matters. Alternatively, the MSA-UCLA should work with individuals who have trained under HEART to create a revised program for the Muslim community’s needs, again with guidance from sensitive religious scholars.

The ultimate objective should be to offer a program that alienates as few people who make up the MSA’s constituency as possible while standing by values that the MSA-UCLA chooses to uphold ( we pray those values are at least partly aligned with majority Islamic ethics, but that is ultimately up to the board). We do not believe that the MSA-UCLA’s and BMP’s affiliation with HEART, in its current form, fulfills that goal.

The demands made above are perfectly reasonable and we expect a response from the Board of Directors of the two organizations. We urge any other community members who have concerns about this issue, on either side, to reach out to the MSA-UCLA and BMP as they make their decisions. Finally, we must stress again the importance of sexual health education and sexual violence prevention for the Muslim community, and we pray Allah SWT give us the means to root out wickedness and injustice in accordance with His way. If you would like to learn more about these issues, or if you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or violence, please reach out to the organizations listed below for support. May Allah SWT support, guide, and bless our community.